Wednesday’s Wild Card finals: Padres, Yankees and White Sox advance

Wednesday’s four Wild Card finals sent the Padres, Yankees and White Sox into the Division Series while keeping Philadelphia’s season alive. Three clubs finished sweeps; the Phillies’ extra-inning escape set up a deciding game against Atlanta.

Yankees finish the sweep

Max Fried allowed one run over six innings, and Cody Bellinger drove in four as New York beat Boston 9-2. A six-run sixth inning broke open a one-run game. The Yankees will face Tampa Bay beginning Saturday at Tropicana Field.

White Sox hold off Houston

Chicago’s 7-3 victory ended its series in two games. Anthony Kay escaped a bases-loaded fifth-inning threat before Chase Meidroth’s three-run homer restored a four-run lead in the sixth. The White Sox bullpen supplied five scoreless innings, securing the club’s first postseason series win since 2005. Cleveland is next in the ALDS.

Phillies earn another game

Philadelphia was the club that had to extend its series. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper homered in the eighth to erase Atlanta’s lead, and Alec Bohm’s tenth-inning homer delivered a 4-3 win. Andrew Painter’s three scoreless innings helped keep the Phillies alive for Thursday’s Game 3, scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern on October 1 according to ESPN’s current schedule.

Padres complete the West Coast sweep

Gavin Sheets’ pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fourth inning gave San Diego a 4-1 lead, and the bullpen protected it through the finish. Bradgley Rodríguez escaped a bases-loaded threat before Sheets’ swing; the Padres’ four relievers combined for 5⅔ scoreless innings. San Diego swept Chicago and will face Milwaukee in the NL Division Series beginning Saturday.

The four results settle three Division Series matchups and leave Philadelphia and Atlanta to decide the final spot. The individual reports below cover each game’s turning points and performances.